1. Technical Field
This device relates to vehicle lift mechanisms that are mounted in the truck bed of a pick-up type truck that converts the truck into a tow truck for towing vehicles at reduced cost.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different designs to convert pick-up trucks into tow trucks, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,716,152, 4,473,237, 4,473,334, 4,534,579, 4,586,866 and 3,599,811.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,152 a towing means is disclosed having a pivoted bar with a hydraulic cylinder secured thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,237 has a lift and tow bar extending from the vehicles axle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,334 discloses a towing device having a pair of pivoted arms within the truck bed that is lifted by a hydraulic piston cylinder assembly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,579 a wheel lift of a tow truck is disclosed having a horizontally extended vehicle engagement arm and a vertical pivot member to which the hook from the truck's boom is secured via a cable for raising.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,866 discloses a towing apparatus having pivoted arms within a cable lift secured to the outer most arm engaging the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,811 shows a towing apparatus with multiple arm sections which is pivoted upwardly from a single pivot point then lifted by a cable extending from the tow trucks winch or boom.
Still a further modification of a lift device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,401 in which a vertically positioned adjustable mast is used as a lift support by a pair of secondary wheels secured thereto. The vehicle is lifted by the cable and hook extending from a winch in the tow truck.